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ENTHUSIASM OF subscription-TV proponents wasn’t the least bit dimmed by RCA chairman David Sarnoff’s attack on pay-as-you-see TV as “a snare and a delusion” in his keynote address to last week’s NARTB convention (See Special Report, Vol. 9:18). In fact, Paramount’s Paul Raibourn, chairman of International Telemeter Corp., hailed address as greatly heightening convention interest in subscription TV.
“He made the thing much more important than it was before,” said Raibourn. He noted that prior to convention little interest in fee-TV was manifest by telecasters — West Coast film folk being major booster’s. By end of convention, he said, many telecasters and CP-holders had expressed interest in project — especially uhf grantees in areas heavily served by vhf. He added that he’s had good many inquiries from community antenna operators, probably on basis of reports about Telemeter’s Palm Springs, Cal., community project, which is slated to be equipped with coinboxes for closed-circuit programs next fall.
“Misleading and dangerous” is how president Arthur Levey of Skiatron (Subscriber-Vision) characterized the Samoff statement. He challenged the General’s right to call commercial home TV “free TV”, since “somebody must pay for it, and that is the consumer” who pays when he buys advertised products. On other hand, he said, subscription TV is really free, in that program material is “free from pressure by the advertisers.” He said Skiatron will demonstrate Subscriber-Vision to public next month in New York, and “will file with the FCC for a commercial license in October.”
Zenith sales v.p. H. C. Bonfig told Chicago Federated Ad Club that subscription TV is necessary to support small town TV stations. Otherwise, he said, more than 20,000,000 Americans will be deprived of local TV service. He pointed out that there have been TV applications in only 100 of the 895 cities in 25,000-or-less population bracket which have TV channel allocations. He predicted national advertisers won’t be able to use more than the top 100-125 markets for network programs— leaving small stations nowhere to turn, except to Phonevision.
While KUHT, Houston, became first educational station to go on air and educators prepared a new wave of applications (see stories, pp. 2 & 3), there were these other educational TV developments this week: (1) San Antonio Council for Educational TV accepted offer of $50,000 from Hugh A. L. Halff, president of WOAI-TV, and offer of surplus equipment from Storer-owned KEYL, for projected operation of non-commercial Ch. 9. (2)
Lou Poller, president of upcoming WCAN-TV, Milwaukee (Ch. 25), offered educators there 5 hours a week of free programming, and use of station’s facilities for vocational instruction. (3) President Harold Fellows told American Women in Radio & TV at Atlanta convention that NARTB isn’t opposed to educational TV, merely believes it shouldn’t be given preferential treatment over commercial telecasting, in interest of making TV available to all sections of country. (4) FCC added Ch. 82 in Amherst and Ch. 80 in North Adams to list of reserved educational channels, in response to petition of Western Massachusetts Educational TV Council (Vol. 9:14). (5) Okla
homa legislature passed bill authorizing statewide educational TV network. (6) Minnesota legislature killed bill to appropriate $2,192,000 for educational TV. (7) Frank E. Karelson Jr., New York attorney, was named chairman of Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council for Educational TV.
Two experimental TV licenses were dropped this week: (1) CBS’s KE2XIA, New York, used for uhf propagation tests, and (2) Radio Electronic TV School’s KQ2XBB, Detroit.
BASEBALL TV restrictions — as embodied in Sen. Johnson’s bill (S. 1396) — seem virtually certain to get favorable action from subcommittee of Senate Interstate Commerce Committee after May 6-8 hearings. Parade of baseball bigwigs testified in favor of bill which would permit major leagues to ban telecasts of their games in minor league territory. Subcommittee and witnesses were in such harmonious accord that at one point Sen. Magnuson (D-Wash.) remarked, “I’m a little new here. Who’s opposed to this bill?” Only opposition finally came in form of letter from NARTB pres. Harold Fellows who charged that bill would, in effect, exempt baseball from anti-trust laws, setting dangerous precedent. Sen. Johnson called NARTB’s position “speculative and highly distorted.” Pittsburgh Pirates gen. mgr. Branch Rickey said “selfish and short-range interests” determine broadcasters’ position.
Baseball’s “Rule 1-D” restricted TV, but it was dropped in 1951 after Justice Dept, pointed out possible illegality of such a rule. Justice Dept, had observer present at hearings, but declined to testify because it wants to await outcome of its pending anti-trust suit against National Football League TV restrictions (Vol. 9:5,7,9-11).
Theatre-TV hearings, if they’re resumed at all, probably won’t be scheduled for some time. If FCC decides to close the books on theatre TV, it’s expected to take action in next few weeks. If Commission doesn’t act soon on theatre TV, however, it can be assumed hearings will be continued — probably at some date in far future.
Heiwcrk Accounts: CBS-TV claims leadership in gross
network billings for April after signing $8,750,000 worth of new business during month, including $4,750,000 week of April 22-28 alone. It also claims 28% advantage over closest competitor in total sponsored time and “3-to-l leadership” in number of daytime hours sponsored . . . Purex Corp. Ltd. (bleach & detergents) is newest sponsor, buying Wed. 1:30-1:45 p.m. portion of Garry Moore Show, starting June 3 on CBS-TV, Mon.-Fri. 1:30-2 p.m., thru Foote, Cone & Belding . . . Lucky Strike starts Your Play Time June 21 on CBS-TV, Sun. 7:30-8 p.m. to replace Private Secretary, which moves to NBC-TV June 20 as summer replacement for Your Hit Parade, Sat. 10:30-11 p.m., thru BBDO . . . Procter & Gamble (Tide) starts Loretta Young drama series Letter to Loretta Aug. 30 on NBC-TV, Sun. 10-10:30 p.m., replacing The Doctor, which ends June 21, thru Benton & Bowles . . . Continental Baking Co. (Wonder bread & Hostess cakes) extends its Wed sponsorship of Howdy Doody, on NBC-TV, Mon.-Fri. 5:30-6 p.m., starting May 6, from 5:45-6 p.m. to 5:30-6 p.m., thru Ted Bates . . . Ford Motor Co. drops radio plans for its 2-hr. 50th anniversary program June 15, but will still use NBC-TV & CBS-TV, 9-11 p.m., thru Kenyon & Eckhardt . . . Procter & Gamble (Oxydol, Dreft, etc.) reported buying audience participation program Time Out for Fun, starting June 8 on NBC-TV, Mon.-Fri. 4-4:30 p.m., as summer replacement for first half of Kate Smith Show, thru Benton & Bowles; it will move to Mon.-Fri. 4:30-5 p.m. in fall and Kate Smith Shoiv wall move to Mon.-Fri. 3-4 p.m. . . . Westinghouse to sponsor 19 National Football League games next fall on DuMont, Sat. night & Sun. afternoon, thru Ketchum, McLeod & Grove . . . International Shoe Co. (Red Goose shoes) replaces Kids & Co. with Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, starting Aug. 29 on DuMont, alt. Sat. 11:30 a.m.-noon, thru D’Arcy Adv.
. . . Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. (Viceroys) starts musical program The Orchid Room May 24 on ABC-TV, Sun. 6:45-7 p.m., thru Ted Bates (Vol. 9:16) . . . PepsiCola to sponsor Faye Emerson drama program, starting Sept. 11 on ABC-TV, Fri. 8:30-9 p.m., thru Biow.